


Matter of Interpretation

by ulmo80



Series: Grey Tales [9]
Category: My Crazy Ramblings
Genre: Baby Jesus, Christmas, Correspondence, Holy Family, Letters, One Shot, Open to Interpretation, Saint Joseph, Sorry Not Sorry, The Author Regrets Nothing, Virgin Mary - Freeform, email, nativity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21904189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ulmo80/pseuds/ulmo80
Summary: Dear cousin,Annual Christmas Madness has begun and I would like to know what I can tell Baby Jesus about his mother. He looks so sad standing there, alone with his father, and St. Joseph’s depression worsens when someone asks him about the Virgin Mary.Hugs and kisses,Your cousin, Isadora.
Series: Grey Tales [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1264802





	Matter of Interpretation

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cuestión de Interpretación](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16018841) by [ulmo80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ulmo80/pseuds/ulmo80). 



> This is a translation, it is not beta-read. English is not my first language. All mistakes are mine.

**1**

Just trip on it was enough. The little sculpture fell and broke. It was part of a beautiful handmade clay Nativity, formed by the Holy Family, all of them standing in a tiny wood podium. St. Joseph had about four inches high, the Baby Jesus reached his father’s hypothetical waist and the Virgin Mary, before ending in pieces, was an inch shorter than her husband. 

She had learned through time to see the glass half full. That’s why she didn’t waste time in lamentations. First of all, it was possible to ensemble the pieces, and second, an artisan friend, whom she considered family, lived in the same building. Thus, after a phone call to see if he could receive her, she put the Virgin in a paper bag and took it to her friend. He assured her that it would be easy to fix, so she let him the _patient_ without a delivery date; after all, she was asking him for a favor.

When she returned home, she packed away the remaining members of the Nativity.

A couple of months later, her friend moved to a more suitable place to develop his artistic activities. However, despite having moved his residence to another sector of the city, it was not only at an important distance but of difficult access. If that was added to the fact that none owned a vehicle, mutual visits declined to become nil.

She didn’t think again about the Nativity until, as Christmas approached, she started decorating for the occasion. As a tradition, about a month before the holiday, she used to gather close relatives and friends to decorate the tree among all. When she defined the most appropriate date to celebrate the traditional evening that year, she called her friend, not only to invite him as always but to remind him of the Virgin. Then, she learned that during the move it, still divided in pieces, had been lost among the boxes of books, sculptures, paintings. Her friend, who had completely forgotten the little figure, promised to look for it, restore it and take it to the meeting. However, when the date arrived, he didn’t go. Nonetheless, she included the remaining members of the Holy Family in the décor.

To her grief, the situation was repeated the next two Christmas.

Time passed and communication became increasingly scarce because her friend lost, not only his phone but also the numbers of his contacts, for he didn't have them listed elsewhere. Consequently, the relationship was reduced to messages via social media, conditioned on both being connected at the same time.

As the fourth Christmas approached, hoping to one day see the entire collection, she made a final attempt, this time through an email. While writing, it occurred to her to add some humor to the letter, with the desire to obtain positive results.

_From: isacrane9845@casemail.com_

_To: ioseftro@casemail.com_

_Date: 2014/01/11, 19:43_

Dear cousin,

Annual Christmas Madness has begun and I would like to know what I can tell Baby Jesus about his mother. He looks so sad standing there, alone with his father, and St. Joseph’s depression worsens when someone asks him about the Virgin Mary.

Hugs and kisses,

Your cousin, Isadora.

* * *

_From: ioseftro@casemail.com_

_For: isacrane9845@casemail.com_

_Date: 2014/11/02, 23:12_

Hahahahahhahaha tell him she’ll arrive in a few days haahhaah

* * *

_From: isacrane9845@casemail.com_

_For: ioseftro@casemail.com_

_Date: 2014/11/03, 8:14_

Dear cousin,

If only I could describe to you the expression on Baby Jesus’ face at the moment I gave him the good news. He is so excited to think about staring again his mother’s face. And what can I tell you about St. Joseph? He has mixed feelings, he doesn’t know whether to be happy or sad; I’m very worried about his mental health.

Hugs and kisses,

Your cousin, Isadora.

* * *

_From: ioseftro@casemail.com_

_For: isacrane9845@casemail.com_

_Date: 2014/11/04, 11:33_

haHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

* * *

_From: isacrane9845@casemail.com_

_For: ioseftro@casemail.com_

_Date: 2014/11/10, 16:52_

Dear cousin,

It’s been almost a week since your last, and, I’m sorry to say, a bit disappointing HAHA-replay. The mental stability of such an important family is not and cannot be material for jokes. Despite his young age, Baby Jesus’ behavior has been exceptional through this terrible situation, but after the happiness provided by your first letter, he has started to despair. He has tantrums, calls me names; he’s out of control and I have no idea of what to do.

St. Joseph’s condition is another story and it’s becoming one of terror. If I was worried about his behavior before, now I'm really scared. He has begun to speak alone, and I don't know if his long talks are with the child's real father or if it is schizophrenia or another psychosis. I’ve been thinking of putting him under medical care. One Dr. Jekyll has his office nearby. I have researched the internet and found that he has a very good reputation in his area of expertise. Maybe I take St. Joseph to him for an evaluation. The other option is Bedlam, and we don’t want that, right?

Hope you’re well,

Hugs and kisses,

Your cousin, Isadora.

PS: I hope the child can see his mother before he comes of age.

* * *

**2**

“There weren’t found any more exchanges,” said Professor Domicianus 2D05, ending the presentation to the first class of Introduction to Dark Era’s Sociology. “Yet, this particular and enthralling sample of primitive communication allows us to study certain aspects of the Pre-Great War Terran society. Can anyone tell me which are observed at first sight?”

Experience had taught him that, as a general rule, no one wanted to be the first, fearing to be wrong and be ashamed in front of their classmates, so he waited. After half a minute of tense silence, one of the young cadets rose his hand and talked.

“The addressee _ioseftro_ employed a different language from the sender Isadora, even though being able to use and understand the one used by his counterpart.”

The teacher gave the boy an approving glance, daring to talk he had shown courage. He waved his hand imperceptibly, the hologram blinked, the last letter vanished and was substituted by the words ascribed to _ioseftro._

_Hahahahahhahaha tell him she‘ll arrive in a few days haahhaah_

_haHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH_

“Differences in the way of communication between both parties are evident,” took up the word Domicianus 2D05 in his element. “While the subject Isadora is structured, employs a formal and educated language, the subject _ioseftro_ , in the absence of a signature at the end of their replies, uses a more concise one and includes a dialect understood by the receiver. Although the translation of the text to the Standard Language was achieved, it hasn’t been possible to establish some kind of pattern that allows us to determine the words expressed by the subject _ioseftro_ , even though there are common characters in both languages. It should be noted that in the last communication, the subject Isadora uses part of that dialect, attached to a word of their regular language.

Another movement of the hands and the phrases were substituted in the hologram.

_HAHA-replay_

As expected, fear of ridicule gave way to a grove of raised hands. The professor pointed to a random one.

“The subject called St. Joseph had the faculty of speaking with someone who wasn’t present. Is it possible that he possessed a superior development of his brain cortex?”

“Good point. It is important to highlight that the subject Isadora considered worrisome this characteristic. They even mention two courses of action: Dr. Jekyll and Bedlam,” as a conductor, Domicianus 2D05 changed the image with the fragments that interested him, while speaking.

_He has begun to speak alone, and I don't know if his long talks are with the child's real father or if it is schizophrenia or another psychosis._

_One **Dr. Jekyll** has his office nearby._

_The other option is **Bedlam** , and we don’t want that, right?_

“It has been studied various thesis over the meaning of the last one.” The young audience was clung to his words, he had awoken their curiosity. “Some kind of medical treatment is the most accepted theory among the specialists, given the reluctance on the subject Isadora’s part on taking that course of action. This one has been accepted as indicative of our ancestors’ difficulty to understand the significance of brain development.

He pointed to another cadet who, having all the attention on him, blushed. He spoke fast and loud as if he feared losing air in the middle of his idea.

“The last two digits placed after each direction change progressively. What was the use of this numeric system?”

_2014/11/01_

_2014/11/02_

_2014/11/03_

_2014/11/04_

_2014/11/10_

“It has been established that the digits following each designation define the way of representation for the time periods. It was employed, during the Dark Era, a calendar based on the movements of rotation and translation of the natural satellite that orbits the planet. This point is going to be deepened by Professor Maximilianus 2T25 in his Comparative Astronomy lessons. Cadet…?”

“Corallium 5K73, professor,” said the chosen young lady; owner of an avid look, she maintained her left hand up while she kept moving the right one over her dispositive of tactile writing. “The mention of the “Annual Christmas Madness” is indicative of a celebration. Could it be about some kind of religious feast?”

“That scenario has been suggested. Artifacts found in recent excavations have indicated the presence of the religious aspect in the primitive Terran society.” Some symbols were displayed on the hologram: a sphere with the superior part painted in red, a white undulating ribbon on the center and the inferior half painted in blue; a bitten apple; a woman with a crown wearing a tunic, holding a torch in one hand and a manuscript in the other; among others. “If it’s taken into account the calendar based on the satellite, which consisted of twelve cycles, it can be concluded that at the beginning of the eleventh it took place the so-called “Annual Christmas Madness.” Does anyone wish to add anything else?” 

“Saturnius 3L82, sir,” said a cadet whose red hair seemed to set on fire the air around him. “Has been determined the importance of the unit formed by the subjects Baby Jesus, St. Joseph, and Virgin Mary?”

“That is for you to investigate.” Domicianus 2D05 felt pleased. Even though his wrinkled face didn’t show any sign, he laughed on the inside. The young man had just formulated the question he waited for the most since he started planning the class, falling right into the trap, just as it had happened to him so long ago. “I want an inform, with a minimum of one thousand and five hundred words for our next session. You may leave.”

To be honest, the assignment was a practical joke, and the most probable outcome was, once they’d get the answer, they’d hate him. He had suffered it in the flesh as a student and was curious about how this new generation of cadets confronted frustrations. The poor ones didn’t know he had sent them in a useless search.

The answer was very simple and was limited to one word: none.

**Author's Note:**

> The reason for that end is this: five thousand years ago, Anubis compared the weight of our soul with an ostrich’s feather to see if we had the possibility of a second life. Two thousand years ago, Zeus ruled in the Olympus along his wife Hera. One thousand years ago, Odin was the All-Father, the Norns determined our destiny and if we had an honorable death, the Valkyries took us to the Valhalla. Five hundred years ago, Quetzalcóatl was the protector of priests and merchants, Tezcatlipoca was considered the king of the sky, the earth and of the protection of men, among others. Who knows what will happen in five hundred, one thousand, two thousand years? 
> 
> Moving on to a lighter topic, point to who tell me which are the “religious symbols” that professor Domicianus 2D05 shows his cadets.
> 
> [ ](https://imgur.com/pr8zOZT)  
> 


End file.
